Well, that’s exactly what Travis Kelce’s ex-girlfriend Kayla Nicole has been confronted with in the past couple of weeks. After plenty of speculation around a potential romance between Swift and the NFL player, things were seemingly confirmed when the “Anti-Hero” songstress turned up to a football game to watch her rumoured new beau show his talents on the field.

So how has Nicole, who dated Kelce on and off for about five years up until 2022, responded?

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The social media influencer shared a video on her Instagram this Monday to address the “backlash and embarrassment”, she said.

“Kayla here, it’s always been really important to me to use my platform not to create division but to elevate and unite women – Black women specifically. So I prepared a letter and would like to share it with you today,” she started the video, before going on to talk about how she wouldn’t clap back at critics, saying that, “They’ll even try to tie your value to your net worth, but Black girl, please remember your value lies elsewhere.”

Although she doesn’t mention Swift or Kelce’s names in the clip, fans believe that it’s very likely the open letter is in response to her ex’s new relationship and the media reports around it.

According to Entertainment Tonight, Swifties previously filled Nicole’s Instagram posts with GIFs of the “Cruel Summer” singer. Nicole also reportedly unfollowed Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his wife Brittany, who was later spotted hanging out with Swift at the Kansas City game.

So, what do we know about her so far?

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Kayla Nicole is an on-air sports host

The Pepperdine University graduate is no stranger to the sports industry. She’s hosted for media channels like ESPN and Barstool Sports, and reported on the NBA and NFL.

Nicole, 31, also dabbled in entertainment reporting, having interviewed celebs like Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler.

She’s a model

When she’s not reporting on sports games, Nicole models on the side. She’s worked with brands like Crocs, 1800 Tequila and Kate Hudson’s athleisure company Fabletics.

She’s a social media influencer

Nicole has grown a strong fan base over the years, with over 730,000 followers on Instagram alone. This level of influence has not gone unnoticed: she’s been tapped by brands like Revolve and Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty.

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Did Nicole meet Travis Kelce on Instagram?

Although they had an on-and-off romance, Kelce and Nicole were undoubtedly an “It” couple in their own right. So how did they meet? She didn’t explicitly explain it, but according to an “ask me anything” reveal, Nicole indicated that they may have first crossed paths via Instagram.

“He had been following me and Insta-flirting for a few months. All double taps and no DM. Soooo after a little liquid courage and a pep talk from @iqueenb [something along the lines of ‘what are you waiting for?’ I DM’d him on New Years,” she wrote on her Instagram Story.